Teen The Bhai

wogma rating: Switch channels if it's on cable (?)

quick review:

It's not bad just because Akshay Kumar does it. Slapstick is slapstick is slapstick - especially if it is distasteful. A fart won't be funny just because it’s a fart even if it is Om Puri's. Even our Pune roads are flatter than the lines, situations and the film in general. (That's not saying much, but even so!)

Read more
Running time: 130 minutes
Genres: Comedy, Docu-drama
More Movie Info

I don't know what the filmmakers felt while making the film or even while watching the film in its entirety for the first time. Teen Thay Bhai was certainly embarrassing to watch. And this is despite the film being devoid of sexual humor. Just watching three great performers going from one unfunny gag into another is extremely uncomfortable.

You still remember Om Puri's brilliant performances despite some really awful scripts he's picked; Shreyas Talpade doesn't need to prove his comic timing anymore; and Deepak Dobriyal is someone who has graduated from smaller, indie films into a performer you look forward to, however tiny his role. And they have a perfectly funny situation laid out before them. They are 3 brothers who hate each other but are forced to spend time together.

Unfortunately, the only few times you do laugh/smile is owing to the actors 'rising above' the script and lines they are handed. At other times, all you want to tell the makers is ok, we get the whole shirtless Salman mockery you are trying to pull, but it's not funny just because Dobriyal is doing it.

You know how any 'respectful' Hindi family film is going to end when it starts with hatred. And the writers try to show how we try to find someone to blame for our weaknesses, but it's too plain and too in-the-face, they try subtlety and then give up, just in case the audience doesn't 'get' it. Besides you cannot have a story with no ups and downs, just one flat tone that the audience can choose to ignore and doze off. And no, an irrelevant sub-plot involving foreigners and cops doesn't help!

Interesting though, the movie starts and maintains some very good production values. Especially the lighting. They used very low lighting and maintained grays and browns despite the genre of the film. But then flashbacks are uses as an excuse to go into a contrast in tone - loud colors, background music. They are also used as an excuse to infuse romance, song & dance, and drama in the plot. This change in ambiance is disorienting. But that's immaterial because it's not like brown/gray/low-light 'style' make the writing or the lame jokes better.

I'm confused. What do I feel worse about? High-budget films without a story or low-budget, indie films produced by the likes of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra paying no attention to the writing.

- meeta, a part of the audience

39 reviewers(?) - 4 yays 10 so-so 25 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Manu Agarwal, Desi Martini : ...The last time we saw 3 bickering men struggling for money was in Priyan's Hera Pheri. I agree it is not that good a film, but it surely has its heart in the right place.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare : ...Puri is a legend and legends don’t err. Dobriyal is a proven gem of an actor and his performance here is no different. Can’t say the same for the talented Mr. Talpade who in a bid to look less Marathi and more Punjabi, over does it.... full review

Thumbs up, by Magik, Passion for Cinema : ...3 loaded stars for this riot of a film from me.... full review

Thumbs up, by Roy D'Silva, The Friday Freak : ...A witty and realistic movie set in the cold no mans land in Himachal Pradesh, is sure to change the very concept of familial relationships.... full review

So-So, by Nishtha Bhatnagar, Alpha : ...Like most of the new age comedies, what works most for Teen Thay Bhai is the typical Punjabi lingo and accents of its characters. ... full review

So-So, by Smita, Desi Martini : ...Teen thay bores... full review

So-So, by Vikramjit Singh, Desi Martini : ...It is at best an honest effort to tell an unconventional story peppered with humor. If you watch it, let it be for that effort.... full review

So-So, by Kaveree Bamzai, india today : ...For those who love marijuana paranthas, a police officer who inflicts torture with household objects and slapstick action soaked in desi whisky, this is pungent, often puerile fun. ... full review

So-So, by Namrata Joshi, Outlook India : ...The film is watchable for Dobriyal, who manages a nuanced performance even in a broad slapstick. The other star is the awesome landscape and those beautiful snowflakes in Gulmarg. Besides, you can also discover here the father of Yuvraj Singh, who had been a superstar of Punjabi films. Beyond that there’s not much to recommend.... full review

So-So, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...Ashok Mehta's excellent cinematography of Kashmir lends support to the movie.... full review

So-So, by K K Rai, STARDUST : ...Mohit Chauhan and Daler Mehndi do full justice to the lyrics of veteran Gulzar.... full review

So-So, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...The good news is that Bollywood is brimming over with fresh talent as more and more young film makers don the director's hat and try their skills at story telling. ... full review

So-So, by Reel Reptile, Upper Stall : ...Finally, this film is a story of not what is or what should be - but what could have been but hopefully still a step in the right direction nonetheless! A direction that does not include future gems like Golmaal 6 and Welcome 2! ... full review

So-So, by SpiceZee Bureau, Zee News : ...‘Teen Thay Bhai’ is quite hilarious when the three brothers frantically try to rub each other the wrong way. However, lack of consistency takes away the much need humour from the film.... full review

Thumbs down, by Nikhil Kumar, Apun Ka Choice : ...Three brothers, many yawns!... full review

Thumbs down, bigoye.com : ...You can definitely give it a miss; unless you are a big fan of Om Puri and wish to watch another stupendous performance by him.... full review

Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...The most absurd movie of 2011 served in the name of Comedy.... full review

Thumbs down, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...Hugely disappointing.... full review

Thumbs down, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...The first question is for Mr. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Pray, what prompted you to green-light the screenplay of TEEN THAY BHAI? ... full review

Thumbs down, by Ameetbhuvan, Desi Martini : ...The film suffers from inconsistency. There is no coherent story line. Things happen out of the blue. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Payal Khanna, Desi Martini : ...Boring All the Way!... full review

Thumbs down, by Deepa Gahlot, Film Impressions : ...So you have good actors, great DOP (Ashok Mehta), lovely location (Kashmir) equaling a film that remains snowed under with poor gags, lousy lines, and a romantic track (with the spirited Ragini Khanna as a village belle) of no consequence.... full review

Thumbs down, by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions : ...Om Puri at his rambunctious best...Deepak Dobriyal, absolutely delightful...Shreyas Talpade OTT in a nice way... full review

Thumbs down, by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com : ...Shreyas is given bad lines and painful broken English (and a bad hairdo)... full review

Thumbs down, by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com : ...It's baffling to see the otherwise good actors like Om Puri, Shreyas Talpade and Deepak Dobriyal perform so badly... full review

Thumbs down, by Divya Solgama, Gomolo.in : ...Om Puri is good in some scenes, but most of the times he is loud and irritating.... full review

Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times : ...Don’t. Even. Ask. It’s been over an hour of sheer nothingness since the film started, and none, including me, could care less to figure what’s going on.... full review

Thumbs down, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...shockingly dull... full review

Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...The other high point, if you can call it that, is the presence of Deepak Dobriyal, who tries to, and sometimes succeeds, in rising above the obviousness of his lines... full review

Thumbs down, by Komal Nahta, koimoi : ...will bomb at the box-office.... full review

Thumbs down, by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint : ...Puri is wasted and it appears that the only brief he got from his director is to be convincingly dirty and foul-mouthed. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Tushar Joshi, MiD DAY : ...Songs are unnecessary and Daler Mehndi's title track is amusing but not melodious.... full review

Thumbs down, by Anupama Chopra, NDTV : ...given the talent involved, is an absolute shame. The film is produced by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and the brothers Chixie, Happy and Fancy are played by Om Puri, Deepak Dobriyal and Shreyas Talpade. ... full review

Thumbs down, by S Rohatgi, Now Running.com : ...The otherwise talented cast Om Puri, Shreyas Talpade and Deepak Dobriyal ham throughout the film courtesy bad screenplay and script. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Raja Sen, Rediff : ...Debutant Mrigdeep Singh Lamba sets up several gags but never quite sees them through, leaving us bored and waiting for the pay-off. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters : ...There really isn’t much more to say about this excuse of a film — except that Deepak Dobriyal is the only one who seems to be trying to make something out of his role as a meek dentist.... full review

Thumbs down, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...The cinematography by Ashok Mehta is immersing and Gulzar's lyrics shine through in the breezy songs. ... full review

Thumbs down, by Sudhish Kamath, The Hindu : ...So how long can you laugh at three supremely talented actors who are perpetually high and very good at that? Well, depends on how much of a swig you've had from that bottle or how many marijuana-paranthas you've had to eat.... full review

Thumbs down, by Kunal Guha, yahoo! India : ...The songs have a zing and could get your shoulders jumping in quintessential Punjabi style but the outlandish lyrics seem like a pothead's last penning. ... full review

50 tweeters(?) - 12 yays 6 so-so 32 nays

Yo_Cinderella: Teen Thay Bhai #niiiiiice

TheMasakkali: teen the bhai. acha lagega agar dekhoge to. aur bahut acha bhi lag sakta hai. kyonki mujhe to bahut acha lagaa hai via @manurishichadha #FB

share_a_smile: Loved '3 The #Bhai' :) Everyone is superb especially #Yograj uncle (@yuvsingh09's dad). Not to be missed on theaters :).

ShailjaArya: 3 thay bhai... good movie... fresh script... good comic timing... all ve acted awesomely... great direction... must watch!

Rohan_INSANE: teen thay bhai... Nice movie.... Especially ompuri....

pundiramit: "3 Thay Bhai" A must watch.

kasturigadge: '3 the bhai' made roll n laugh through out the movie .. brilliant performances and excellent editing ... MUST WATCH ...

jaaaaaaanu: watched 3 they bhai... funny!!

deepanshurocks: Teen they bhai is a grt movie..

CineMagik: Still to find someone who has seen and loved Teen They Bhai. Am I alone in Ramgarh tonight?

abhiramanbakshi: Photo: Watched “3 Thay Bhai” today.. Genius Direction! Hilarious Dialogues! Decent Music! Paisaa Vasool.. :D http://www.tumblr.com/xgu25kxjjs

80abhishek: 3 thay-bhai good movie... saved my weekend.. thanks Mr. Director.. :)

ShirareCube: Saw 'Teen Thay Bhai' yesterday,, it was a timepass low-budget comedy with a few funny moments.

Nidhik20: Just came bk aftr watchin my friday movie masala .. 3 the bhai ... I'll give 3 stars to d movie ,probably 1 each for 1 bhai !! Decent comedy

IshaSG: "3 Thay Bhai" Complete family flick..so better if U watch at home only..

greenentropy: If you understand bit of theth punjabi, maaro a patiala and enjoy the first half of teen they bhai.

anjanjagirdar: saw 3 thay bhai today it makes u laugh with some brillant dialogues and acting but the screenplay n story are pure shit..

aditichopraa: Teen Thay Bhai will give you reasons to dislike and enjoy it at the same time.

vikrambhatnagar: Just watched '3 the bhai'. Why, like why make something like this.

UditaJ: My review of Teen Thay Bhai on Mumbaiboss: http://mumbaiboss.com/2011/04/15/‘teen-thay-bhai’-is-a-tasteless-trip-to-the-cinema/

teenbooks345: <i>Teen Thay Bhai</i> very disappointing fare: Teen Thay Bhai is like one of those books whose backflap synopsis... http://bit.ly/ii83L1

TeenaSingh90: 3 Thay Bhai review: A film that's woefully dull http://celewood.com/movie-reviews/3-thay-bhai-review-film-thats-woefully-dull via @AddThis

shilpi_tweet: Teen The Bhai..but na he hote to accha hota!

Sethumadhavan: Teen Thay Bhai reminds me of Quarter Cutting- again a film with a plot that looked good on paper& an interesting star cast but fails in film

SandeepMall: OMG Facts - Teen the Bhai was the first movie that I couldn't sit thru till interval

r1kartik: And caught up with TEEN THAY BHAI today. exceptionally below average movie http://kartikr.blogspot.com/2011/04/teen-thay-bhai.html

PAVANSURVI: 3 Thay Bhai : Terribly made movie. Comedy kosam ani velthe TORTURE tho champesaru. Total waste of money :( *SKIP IT* #Bollywood

mbjfilms: 3 they bhai jo hamane khoya - paisa,samay aur santushhti

MaleFactorsays: 3 they bhai, very poor...

lovelynags: REVIEW 3 Thay Bhai: Disappointing Effort Plus: Cinematography,comedy in parts Minus: Story,Slow Screenplay,Direction Survi : 3/10

liquid_gag: 3 Thay Bhai review: Worn-out and humourless http://bit.ly/fVXgMM

jh00tha: In the other news "teen thay bhai" is utter crap.. #whatWereTheyThinking

indiavisioncom: 'Teen Thay Bhai' very disappointing fare http://www.indiavision.com/news/article/entertainment/177604/

gproactivek: 3 they bhai, 2 they audience, sirf 1 din ke liye chali! Movie begins well, but meanders & loses plot. How, why, where did they loose plot?

gauravbatla: Btw, 3 thay bhai is absolutely trash

Forever_Tarun: Today I saw the worst movie of 2011 till date, Teen The Bhai, every single awesome actor wasted in a shit of movie

FilmiNandu: Teen Thay Bhai is a Total Tragic Boredom http://filminandu.blogspot.com

datingbudy: muvi 3 the bhai............izz mind BLOWING muvie.... it blows yo mind lyk a strom !!!!dun go fo it, even if tickets r sold free

cvsarathi: #3 teen thay bhai...is a mght hve been gud short film which gets quite borng in between bcoz of the attmpt to mke it into a 2 hour flm.(Cnt)

CM_movies: Teen They Bhai is Disappointing http://www.chintumintu.com/bollywood/review/teen-thay-bhai-review #TeenTheyBhai

cinemanewsindia: 3 thay bhai....disaster!

campusghanta: All those who wanted to ruin their weekends can go and watch 'Teen Thay Bhai'. #suggestion #shitmovie

bricklanebee: Just watched '3 the bhai'. Why, like why make something like this. Although the songs aren't that bad.

BookmarkRiver: Review: Teen Thay Bhai is a waste of top actors http://bookmarkriver.info/Entertainment/-review-teen-thay-bhai-is-a-waste-of-top-actors/ #Entertainment

BhawanaSomaaya: Teen Thay Bhai attempts to make you laugh but infact puts you to sleep. it has good music and could have been an interesting film. Sad

Anshu_Abhi: Bollywood, Why you no stop making such irritating and boring movies...? Teen They Bhai is an absolute disaster...

annavetticad: My review of #TeenThayBhai in which #OmPuri breaks wind & #DeepakDobriyal rises above all that hot air! http://annavetticadgoes2themovies.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-31-teen-thay-bhai.html?spref=tw

anilchintz: Teen Thay Bhai tries hard to be funny..err no emotional..err i m still confused about the genre. What a waste of talented actors. #fb

abhisek_suman: 3 Thay Bhai: *1\2 One of the most bakwaas movie of the year. Cont...

aashishengg: To hell with 3 the bhai .. Worst ever in this era .don't watch it plz plz plz plz

1 readers - 0 yays 0 so-so 1 nays

Nay! Thumbs Down, by guddu : missed deliberately

Nay! Thumbs Down, by guddu : missed deliberately

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Plot Summary

Three brothers hate each other. They have avoided being with each other as much as they can but now they are forced to stay with each other for a couple of days.

What did not

Note: This section simply lists the things that I did not like in this movie. This is not the overall impression about this movie. Please read the full review here

  • The mockery at obese girls not finding partners.
  • Eluding to Anand with 'shifting pain'
  • Shreyas Talpade's English. No, not funny.
  • Deepak Dobriyal's wig when his character is younger.
  • The whole paratha sub-plot. That's where the story went straight from bad to worst.

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: Brothers hitting each other.
  • Language: clean-ish
  • Nudity & Sexual content: none, unless you count a shirtless Deepak Dobriyal offensive.
  • Concept: Blood relations are hard to kill (?)
  • General Look and Feel: A failed attempt at humor with dry but stylish cinematography.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction:
Story:
Lead Actors:
Character Artists:
Dialogues:
Screenplay:
Music Director:
Lyrics:

Teen The Bhai - Cast, crew, links

Supporting Cast:
Screenplay:
Dialogues:
Cinematography:
Background Score:
Action Choreography:
Lyrics:
Costume Designer:
Running time:
130 minutes
Reviewer:
Language:
Country:
Genres:

Comments (4)

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Ouch! I've always wanted wogma to be a one-stop shop for movies that are available in India. Therefore, I have invited Arcopol to do reviews of movies that are available in India - DVD or in theaters. And I stick to Hindi movie reviews, the only time I have someone else do a Hindi movie review is when I'm on vacation (not even when I'm unwell :) )

I will keep your feedback in mind. If I hear more complaints, I'll have to reconsider my decision.

Oh and it'll be a difficult decision to make because I love Arcopol's reviws :)

hey anon i guess you are the only one who don't like arcopol reviews.meetu don't listen to that guy,there are people who enjoy arcopol reviews on those classic filmaking especially myself.i really enjoyed reading the reviews of shoshine,song of the sparrows,y tu mama tambien,amelie etc.i am looking forward this week new dvd release review by arcopol.

@guddu @Shashank thanks guys! I am reassured now.

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